Location Charleston, South Carolina, United States Regions East Coast, Southern US Gender Male Also Known As Chris Zoukis, Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA
Website federalcriminaldefenseattorney.com/ Facebook View on Facebook LinkedIn View on LinkedIn X (Twitter) View on X
Christopher Zoukis is the Managing Director of Elizabeth Franklin-Best P.C., a nationally practicing federal criminal defense law firm headquartered in South Carolina. He is a nationally recognized federal prison policy expert, published author, and criminal justice advocate.
Zoukis holds a J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of
Law, where he served as Articles Editor of the UC Davis Law Review and was a member of the Trial Practice Honors Board. He received both the Witkin Award for Academic Excellence and the Reynoso Award for Academic Excellence. He was also Vice President of the Criminal Law Association and Students Against Mass Incarceration. Prior to law school, he earned a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (Business Administration and Legal Studies) from Adams State University, along with Paralegal, Advanced Paralegal, and Employment Law certificates.
In 2010, Zoukis founded Middle Street Publishing, a media and publishing company focused on criminal justice reform. In 2018, he established the Zoukis Consulting Group to formalize his federal prison consulting practice. The firm has since assisted hundreds of clients navigating the federal prison system, from pre-surrender preparation through in-custody advocacy and reentry planning. His consulting practice covers Bureau of Prisons facility placement strategy, security classification analysis, First Step Act time credit advocacy, administrative remedies, disciplinary defense, compassionate release, medical care advocacy, and post-release transition planning.
Zoukis is a prolific author whose works are widely used by federal criminal defense practitioners, incarcerated individuals, and their families. His books include "Federal Prison Handbook" (Middle Street Publishing, 2017), "Directory of Federal Prisons" (Middle Street Publishing, 2020), "Prison Education Guide" (Prison Legal News Publishing, 2016), "College for Convicts: The Case for Higher Education in American Prisons" (McFarland & Company, 2014), "The Habeas Citebook: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel" (3rd Edition, 2026, co-authored with Brandon Sample and Alissa Hull), and the "Federal Criminal Defendants' Handbook" (2026). His writing has received awards and recognition from the American Bar Association, Society of Professional Journalists, PEN America Center, Foreword Reviews, Readers' Favorite, and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, among others. He is a member of the Authors Guild.
Zoukis is a regular contributor to Prison Legal News, Criminal Legal News, and other legal publications. His commentary on federal prison policy and criminal justice reform has been featured by CNN, Fox News, NPR, ABC News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Law, The Guardian, The Hill, the Associated Press, United Press International, Vice News, and Yahoo News, among other national and international outlets. He is frequently consulted by media organizations, defense attorneys, and policymakers on matters relating to Bureau of Prisons operations, inmates' rights, sentencing reform, and federal corrections policy.
